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North Dakota Water
History The North
Dakota Water Education Foundation is writing and publishing a
comprehensive history of water development and water management in North
Dakota in the 20th Century. The details, chronologies and factual
information needed to tell this story will be complied through research,
interviews, and utilization of existing materials.
 Outline
The 14-chapter water history book will include the following components of
North Dakota’s water history:
1. Missouri River/Pick Sloan
2. Garrison Diversion
3. Water Supply/Eastern North Dakota
4. Rural Water Systems
5. West River Diversion/Southwest Pipeline Project/Southwest Water
Authority
6. Devils Lake
7. Red River of the North: Flooding/Protection
8. Souris River Flooding/Protection
9. Irrigation
10. Weather Modification
11. Water Management Projects/Water Resource Districts/Drain Boards/Water
managers and Dam
12. Wetlands Issues and Conflicts Appendices, including a history timeline
13. State Engineers
14. Water Organizations: Water Resource Districts/Water Users Groups,
State Water Commission
Personal Reflections
This is a story that will be told partly through the personal
recollections of those who have been involved in state water issues during
this century. The North Dakota Water Education Foundation was a sponsor of
Prairie Public Radio’s “More Precious Than Gold” which involved interviews
with over 90 people connected with water in North Dakota. Prairie Public
TV has provided the complete transcripts of those interviews. They will
provide helpful information to tell North Dakota’s water history. We will
also interview present and former state engineers and staff at the North
Dakota State Water Commission for the State Engineer history portion of
this water history book.
Research
Supplementing interviews, we will research the papers and records of
individuals, organizations and agencies, and other historical accounts of
North Dakota’s water issues. We will also research photo archives from
state and federal agencies, newspapers and magazines, and private
collections to include in the book.
Publications
Once compiled and written, the history will be published as a 260-page
book.
Any materials developed for this project will be donated to the State
Archives at the State
Historical Society of North Dakota. A critical component of this project
will be to develop an Educator's Guide to accompany the book. This guide
will include between two and three lessons per chapter and will directly
relate to the subject matter in the book. The lesson materials will be
modeled after the national Project Water Education for Teachers
(WET) program, which is recognized around the world for its excellence and
effectiveness in water education in the classroom will then become part of
the North Dakota WET Program. They will be written for middle school and
high school students in grades 6-12, and will include suggestions for
adapting the lessons to the elementary level. Activities in the Educator's
Guide will be developed to correspond with North Dakota's education
standards for the various subject areas covered. While the Educator's
Guide will be developed primarily for use in the classroom, it will be
designed for use by others, such as leaders of youth groups and resource
specialists at state and federal agencies. Once completed, it is our
vision to develop an interactive CD for water development and water
management by applying for grant funds that may be available for water
education programs.
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